“We've really been a bully pulpit to look at ways to bend the cost curve in terms of tuition and fees,” board spokesman Dominic Chavez said. “We articulate it as a challenge. Ten thousand dollars is a goal. Let's see how many programs we can get for affordable pathways.”

In-state tuition and fees in Texas have increased by 90 percent in eight years.

The average cost was about $7,300 per year in 2011-12.

With rising tuition and student debt a growing concern nationwide, Perry's $10,000 degree idea is gaining attention in other states. Two weeks ago, Florida Gov. Rick Scott called for his state's universities and colleges to follow Texas' lead.

The low-cost programs vary in structure, but most use a mix of online and classroom courses or a combination of dual community college and university credits to keep the cost low.

Many also use grants and scholarships to reach the $10,000 mark.

The programs generally are limited to certain degree areas and offer few frills. Students must be highly focused and motivated to complete the programs because they are tightly structured for four-year completion.

A common thread is that the low-cost degrees are in high-demand job areas.

For example, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, in partnership with Alamo College, offers a degree in information technology with an emphasis on cybersecurity.

Both universities' programs target traditional students, but some also cater to older students.

Some in higher education say the concept is a gimmick and fails to fully address the cost issue.

“Our concern is that the idea of the $10,000 degree is diverting attention from the very real conversation about rising costs that must happen among all the members of the higher-education community,” said Ann McGlashan, an associate professor of German and Russian at Baylor University and president of the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors.

Texas and other states have dramatically cut higher-education money over the years, forcing tuition up. Now political leaders want to put pressure on universities to reverse the trend while ignoring cost-cutting measures they have already taken, said Dan Hurley, director of state relations for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

“While we support the idea, the $10,000 mark is an artificially set figure,” Hurley said. “To deliver a college education at or below that mark is a little too elementary, given all the dynamics at play. It gets folks excited, but it's not a sophisticated approach to encouraging system performance.”

Others say it's difficult for brick-and-mortar universities to offer $10,000 degrees without radically revising the way their programs are structured.

An innovative approach is shaping up in which Texas A&M-Commerce and South Texas College, in partnership with the Coordinating Board, are developing a competency-based program. It will offer an organizational leadership degree for working students who want to advance their careers. The initiative is being funded by a Gates Foundation grant and is expected to start next fall.

Students will receive credit based on demonstrating proficiency rather than taking a certain number of courses, enabling them to learn at their own pace. They can complete the program in three years or less. Tuition and fees will range from $7,000 to $14,000.

“This does away with everything based on time and place,” said Mary Hendrix, vice president for student access and success at A&M-Commerce. “Students are able to personalize their degree. We see this as the next step.”

High school students who complete 24 semester hours of dual credit college courses in their junior and senior years are encouraged to advance to Tarrant County College to earn their associate degree. High-performing transfer students are eligible for a UT-Arlington scholarship of up to $10,000.

Students who complete all three phases of the program and qualify for the scholarship could save $25,000 off the total cost of their undergraduate education and earn a college degree for less than $10,000.

Baylor's McGlashan said students eligible for $10,000 degrees often have attended well-funded high-schools that offer many dual-credit and Advanced Placement classes that give them a head start.

“It also targets those who know very early on what they want to do with their lives,” she said.

“We need to be talking about the students who don't have these advantages and what can be done to bring down costs for them. It's time to put everything on the table and think outside the box.”

renee.lee@chron.com

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